Sue Lin Ward
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal member since April 6, 2026
Sue helps clients bring clarity, alignment, and momentum to complex integrated marketing work. Known for her calm, collaborative style, she is a senior account leader and client partner with 20 years of experience across agency and in-house ecosystems, leading work for global brands including Apple, Google, YouTube, and United Airlines.
Expertise
- Account Leadership
- Advertising Campaigns
- Client Relationship Management
- Creative Problem Solving
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Go-to-market Execution
- Program Management
- Stakeholder Management
Work Experience
Group Brand Director – Rocket
Mirimar
- Built an operating framework for partnership principles, roles, deliverables, financial expectations, and communication rhythms to support Rocket Mortgage’s onboarding as a new agency of record (AOR) during a high-stakes company-wide brand relaunch.
- Aligned senior client stakeholders and a 16-person cross-functional agency team around clear priorities, roles, and delivery expectations.
- Managed a multimillion-dollar integrated account, building trust quickly with senior client partners while guiding agency teams through evolving priorities and tight timelines.
Brand Director (Freelance) – United Airlines
72andSunny
- Aligned senior client stakeholders and a 50+ person cross-disciplinary agency team around clear priorities, decision-making, and delivery cadence for United Airlines.
- Refined working rhythms across strategy, creative, production, and account teams to support multiple integrated workstreams with complex execution and delivery timelines.
- Managed day-to-day leadership of a high-profile integrated account, bringing structure to evolving priorities and helping teams deliver with greater clarity and focus.
- Strengthened collaboration across client and agency teams by improving ways of working, resolving blockers, and maintaining momentum in a fast-moving environment.
Group Brand Director (Freelance) – New Business
Giant Spoon
- Program-managed pitches and RFPs, creating timelines, aligning internal teams, and driving the process from kickoff through submission.
- Partnered with strategy and creative leadership to shape clear, compelling narratives for new business opportunities.
- Coordinated cross-functional inputs across leadership teams to streamline the pitch process and maintain momentum under tight deadlines.
Group Brand Director – YouTube, Google Shopping
The Many Agency
- Led account delivery across multiple YouTube initiatives, aligning stakeholders and cross-functional teams to deliver a high volume of work at pace without compromising quality.
- Partnered with leadership to develop staffing plans across evolving workstreams, identifying hiring gaps and specialist talent needs to protect creative and production excellence.
- Pitched and won Google Shopping’s Social AOR, then built the cross-functional team structure and led the launch across paid and organic delivery.
- Navigated Google and YouTube’s evolving in-house creative structures, helping manage split briefs and maintain alignment, continuity, and trusted client partnership across teams.
- Co-led Women@TheMany, helping drive programming and community-building initiatives in support of women across the agency.
Account Director (Freelance) – Walmart
Deutsch
- Led the day-to-day go-to-market launch of Walmart+, coordinating cross-functional teams and translating strategy into clear plans, milestones, and delivery checkpoints.
- Coordinated partnership workstreams, including NFL and custom content integrations, to keep messaging, production, and execution aligned across touchpoints.
- Strengthened ways of working with Walmart’s matrix organization by clarifying ownership, priorities, approval paths, and handoffs to increase speed to market.
Vice President
The dFm
- Led the day-to-day running of the agency during a leadership transition and shift in company direction, stabilizing delivery and setting clear priorities across teams.
- Restructured talent across account/project management, creative, social and digital strategy, brand communications, sales, partnerships, and operations to better support business needs.
- Defined the narrative for a new agency model spanning agency, commerce, and content studio capabilities to support pitches and business growth.
Brand Director – Google Hardware, Google Brand
72andSunny
- Led day-to-day account management across Google Hardware and Google Brand, partnering across strategy, creative, account, and production to keep stakeholders aligned in a complex, fast-paced environment.
- Led go-to-market execution for Google Hardware, developing product and brand campaigns, partnerships, and launch plans across phones, speakers, and displays.
- Drove organic growth by securing $1.5 million in incremental annual revenue and creating an end-to-end creative and production solution for Google’s education platform.
- Managed campaigns and partnerships, including Disney, The New York Times, and YouTube, aligning teams, timelines, and deliverables across multiple workstreams and vendors.
- Mentored the Google Brand team while reshaping forecasting, resourcing, and scope planning to support growth and delivery needs.
- Partnered with senior clients to help define Google’s position in the hardware category across phones, speakers, and displays.
Global Account Director – Apple
TBWA\Media Arts Lab
- Led global account coordination for iPhone campaigns across 26 markets, aligning timelines, stakeholders, approvals, and excellence in delivery across a complex international agency network.
- Partnered with strategy and an in-house media team to translate campaign strategy into clear briefs, deliverables, and production plans for multimillion-dollar Apple launches.
- Expanded the global agency network from 14 to 26 markets across EMEA, LATAM, APAC, and iSEA, establishing a hub-based operating model, approval pathways, and communication rhythms to manage work at scale.
- Built staff plans and trained teams across Los Angeles and international offices, reinforcing brand standards and ways of working across the network.
- Maintained a high standard of account leadership across a global, cross-functional network, helping teams meet Apple’s expectations for quality, consistency, and execution.
- Selected for TBWA/Media Arts Lab’s Tiger Academy (2015), a program for rising stars.
Senior Account Executive – Apple iPhone, iPod
TBWA\Media Arts Lab
- Managed day-to-day client relationships across iPhone and iPod campaigns for 6 European markets, coordinating production and localization with regional teams.
- Aligned timelines, approvals, and market requirements across countries to support timely delivery against local needs.
- Supported multimarket launches by translating briefs into clear deliverables and maintaining momentum across client and internal teams.
Senior Account Manager – United Biscuits, P&G Europe
Publicis Groupe
- Managed day-to-day client relationships and integrated campaigns across the United Biscuits portfolio, including an award-winning Hula Hoops TTL campaign, the relaunch of Phileas Fogg, and repositioning for Mini Cheddars and Jacob’s Cream Crackers.
- Executed TV, print, in-store, and online campaigns across Europe for P&G tissue and towel brands, coordinating teams, timelines, and delivery across markets.
- Supported key launches and brand transitions for P&G, including a new product launch, Bounty renaming campaign, and new brand positioning for Charmin across European markets.
Senior Account Manager – B&Q
J. Walter Thompson
- Managed day-to-day client relationships across multiple national and local campaigns, in-store promotions, and new store openings for B&Q.
- Coordinated the simultaneous delivery of bespoke campaign workstreams, keeping timelines, execution, and communications on track across a broad media mix.
- Collaborated closely with an embedded media team to maintain the quality and speed of communications.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications
Bournemouth University - Dorset, UK
Skills
Core
Marketing, Creative Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Brand Marketing, Brand Strategy, Branding, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Marketing Mix, Public Relations (PR), Content Creation, Marketing Strategy
Platforms & Tools
Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Asana
Other
Creative Problem Solving, Integrated Communications, Advertising Strategy, Relationship Management, Client Services, Critical Thinking, Cultural Adaptability, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Cross-functional Team Collaboration, Scope Management, Project Delivery, Stakeholder Management, Project Management, Account Leadership, Client Success, Teamwork, Team Leadership, Team Mentoring, Onboarding, Ways of Working, Presentations, Team Management, Execution, Project Timelines, Client Relationship Management, Client Relations, Program Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Clients, Cross-functional Collaboration, Operations, Team Building, Project Scoping, Meetings, Client Management, Team Development, Delivery, Key Account Management, Account Management, Timelines, Travel, iPhone, Campaigns, Planning, Go-to-market Execution, Client Reporting, Client Preparation, Client Communication, Client Presentations, Client Delivery Management, Projects, Google Slides, Scope, Client Development, Quality Control (QC), People Management, Staff Management & Development, Apple, Strategy, Brand Identity, Brand Management, Consumer Branding, Persuasive Communication, Thought Leadership, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Zoom, Slack, Scope of Work (SOW), Resource Management, Resource Planning & Analysis, Resource Allocation, Partner Management, Risk Management, Budgeting, Partnerships, 360 Campaigns, Production, Meeting Briefings, Client Briefing, RFP Management, Team Coaching, Budget Management, Project Budget Management, Revenue Growth, Global Team Management, Culture Management, Training Workshops, Localization, International Projects, Microsoft PowerPoint, Go-to-market Plans, Multi-channel, Executive Reporting, Executive Presentations, Workshops, Workshop Facilitation, Global, Internationalization, Innovative marketing techniques, Ideation, Secondary Research, Product Branding, Brand Building, Branded Content, Brand Logos, Digital Branding, Media Planning, Strategic Planning, Media Research, Consumer Insights, Behavioral Psychology, MacOS, Apple Numbers, Executive Summaries, TV Production, RFPs, RFQs, ITTs, Responses, Proposals & Quotes, Global Markets, Emerging Markets, Europe, Product Launch, iPod, Regional Management, SharePoint, Launch Strategy, B2B Partnerships, New Business Development, Cross-functional, Cross-platform, Pitch Presentations, Go-to-market Optimization, Board Decks, Pitch Decks, Creative Strategy, Brand Positioning
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